Decision Supported by Positive Reception of NAMENDA XR by
Physicians, Patients, and Caregivers

February 14, 2014 04:15 PM Eastern Standard Time

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Forest Laboratories, Inc. (NYSE:FRX), a leading, fully integrated,
specialty pharmaceutical company largely focused on the United States
market, today announced that it plans to discontinue the sale of NAMENDA®
(memantine HCl) 5 mg and 10 mg tablets effective August 15, 2014. Forest
has notified the U.S. Food and Drug Administration of this decision. The
oral solution of NAMENDA and once-daily NAMENDA XR®
(memantine HCl) extended-release capsules will continue to be available.
Both NAMENDA and NAMENDA XR are indicated for the treatment of moderate
to severe Alzheimer’s disease.

“NAMENDA XR offers important benefits, including convenient, once-daily
dosing, which is particularly meaningful for this patient population and
their caregivers. Our decision to focus on NAMENDA XR is supported by
these benefits as well as the positive feedback we’ve received from
physicians and caregivers since the launch of NAMENDA XR,” said Marco
Taglietti, MD, Chief Medical officer and EVP, Drug Development and
Research of Forest. “The conversion also allows us to streamline our
resources and explore innovative new compounds that may be effective for
the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, including the fixed-dose
combination of NAMENDA XR and donepezil, which is under development.”

Importantly, physicians can switch patients from NAMENDA to NAMENDA XR
the very next day without titration, as outlined in the FDA-approved
package insert. In addition to its convenient dosing, NAMENDA XR
capsules can be opened and the contents sprinkled on applesauce for
patients who have difficulty swallowing pills.

“Given the day-to-day challenges of caring for someone with Alzheimer’s
disease, there is a need for treatments that simplify a patient’s daily
regimen and may help caregivers manage their loved ones’ needs,” said
Gustavo Alva, MD, Neuropsychiatrist and Medical Director at ATP Clinical
Research in Costa Mesa, CA. “For many families, NAMENDA XR is already
fulfilling this need as a once-a-day treatment alternative.”

Forest sponsored a third-party survey that included 250 physicians
treating Alzheimer’s patients and 250 caregivers of Alzheimer’s
patients. Physicians surveyed responded that NAMENDA XR once daily
administration was important in their decision to prescribe the
medication. Also, a majority of caregivers responded that they were
satisfied with the once daily dosing of NAMENDA XR.

Dr. Taglietti further noted: “Forest has provided effective treatments
and education to the Alzheimer’s community for the past decade, and we
remain fully committed to delivering products that can improve the lives
of patients and their loved ones.”

Forest is actively communicating with healthcare providers, pharmacists,
patients, and caregivers to notify them of the discontinuation of
NAMENDA and the continued availability of NAMENDA XR. Patients and
caregivers with questions can call Forest’s dedicated toll-free number,
1-844-TREAT-AD.

About NAMENDA XR®

NAMENDA XR (memantine HCl) extended release capsules are a higher dose,
once-daily formulation of NAMENDA immediate release indicated for the
treatment of moderate to severe dementia of the Alzheimer’s type. Its
mechanism of action focuses on the glutamate pathway, a target for the
treatment of Alzheimer's disease. The efficacy and safety of NAMENDA XR
was established in a 24 week, randomized, double-blind,
placebo-controlled trial of 677 outpatients on a stable dose of
acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEl).

There is no evidence that NAMENDA XR or an AChEI prevents or slows the
underlying disease process in patients with Alzheimer’s disease.

Dosing and Administration

The recommended starting dose of NAMENDA XR is 7 mg once daily. The
recommended target dose is 28 mg once daily. The dose should be
increased in 7 mg increments to 28 mg once daily. The minimum
recommended interval between dose increases is one week and only if
the previous dose has been well tolerated. The maximum recommended
dose is 28 mg once daily.

It is recommended that a patient who is on a regimen of 10 mg twice
daily of NAMENDA tablets be switched to NAMENDA XR 28 mg once-daily
capsules the day following the last dose of a 10 mg NAMENDA tablet.
There is no study addressing the comparative efficacy of these 2
regimens.

It is recommended that a patient with severe renal impairment who is
on a regimen of 5 mg twice daily of NAMENDA tablets be switched to
NAMENDA XR 14 mg once-daily capsules the day following the last dose
of a 5 mg NAMENDA tablet.

Special Populations

NAMENDA XR should be administered with caution to patients with severe
hepatic impairment.

A target dose of 14 mg/day is recommended in patients with severe
renal impairment (creatinine clearance of 5-29 mL/min, based on the
Cockcroft-Gault equation).

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

Contraindications

NAMENDA XR is contraindicated in patients with known hypersensitivity
to memantine hydrochloride or to any excipients used in the
formulation.

Warnings and Precautions

NAMENDA XR should be used with caution under conditions that raise
urine pH (including alterations by diet, drugs and the clinical state
of the patient). Alkaline urine conditions may decrease the urinary
elimination of memantine, resulting in increased plasma levels and a
possible increase in adverse effects.

NAMENDA XR has not been systematically evaluated in patients with a
seizure disorder.

Adverse Reactions

The most commonly observed adverse reactions seen in patients
administered NAMENDA XR (28 mg/day) in a controlled clinical trial,
defined as those occurring at a frequency of at least 5% in the
NAMENDA XR group and at a higher frequency than placebo were
headache (6% vs 5%), diarrhea (5% vs 4%), and dizziness (5% vs 1%).

Drug Interactions

No drug-drug interaction studies have been conducted with NAMENDA XR,
specifically. The combined use of NAMENDA XR with other NMDA
antagonists (amantadine, ketamine, or dextromethorphan) has not been
systematically evaluated and such use should be approached with
caution.

Please visit www.NamendaXR.com
for more information and full prescribing information.

About Forest Laboratories and Its Products

Forest Laboratories (NYSE: FRX) is a leading, fully integrated,
specialty pharmaceutical company largely focused on the United States
market. The Company markets a portfolio of branded drug products and
develops new medicines to treat patients suffering from diseases
principally in the following therapeutic areas: central nervous system,
cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, respiratory, anti-infective, and
cystic fibrosis. Our strategy of acquiring product rights for
development and commercialization through licensing, collaborative
partnerships, and targeted mergers and acquisitions allows us to take
advantage of attractive late-stage development and commercial
opportunities, thereby managing the risks inherent in drug development.
The Company is headquartered in New York, NY. To learn more, visit www.FRX.com.

Except for the historical information contained herein, this release
contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements involve a
number of risks and uncertainties, including the difficulty of
predicting FDA approvals, the acceptance and demand for new
pharmaceutical products, the impact of competitive products and pricing,
the timely development and launch of new products, and the risk factors
listed from time to time in Forest Laboratories’ Annual Report on Form
10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and any subsequent SEC filings.
Forest assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements
contained in this release to reflect new information or future events or
developments.